This invention is applicable within the field of the transport of fragile merchandise, in which certain parameters have to be controlled in order to attain a correct conservation and manipulation of merchandise during transport, in terms of mechanical fragility as well as of ambient conditions such as temperature, pressure, relative humidity, etc.
Within the broad range of possible practical applications for the system covered by the invention it is possible to mention, as an example, the transport of works of art, which due to their cultural and economic importance has to take place under the strictest conditions.
As well as maintaining strict control over all of the above-mentioned parameters, the system covered by the invention also makes it possible to maintain the temperature within containers constant and homogeneous.
Classical container systems are basically designed to protect the merchandise in question against the mechanical effects of impact or poor handling, but although these systems are valid for a broad range of merchandise, they are completely insufficient for certain types of delicate goods.
More advanced systems make it possible to protect merchandise not only against the effects arising directly due to the said knocks or impacts, but also against vibration generated by any cause.
In this respect it is possible to cite, for example, Spanish invention patent application No. P901433, corresponding to the same applicant and in which the object to be transported, more specifically a work of art, is placed xe2x80x9cin suspensionxe2x80x9d in the centre of the packaging box which constitutes the container itself, and is connected to the same by elastic means which, suitably distributed, keep the object in the position selected for transport and absorb the vibration caused by impact against the box or any other reason.
Nevertheless, certain items of delicate merchandise, such as the afore-mentioned works of art, require certain ambient conditions during transport, in terms of temperature, pressure and humidity, etc., for example, such parameters not having been controlled to date, being liable to major fluctuations, especially in the case of transport by air.
On the other hand, it would also be desirable to be able to precisely monitor the conditions which have prevailed during transport, as well as if the container has been opened during the same.
To date no solution to the problems expounded above has been available, excepting the use of climate controlled display cabinets, as well as systems to insulate and seal the casings used for containers, and which are clearly insufficient.
The container system for delicate merchandising proposed by this invention resolves the problems described above in a way that is fully satisfactory, and it stores the data corresponding to the above-mentioned criteria while governing the temperature throughout transport, making it possible to control and guarantee the conditions under which this has taken place.
To this end, and more specifically, within the container itself, which may be equipped with means of attachment such as those covered by the above-mentioned patent or any others that are considered suitable, and which will preferentially be fitted with an airtight seal, there will be multiple sensors suitable for detecting temperature, relative humidity, pressure, level of vibration and any other parameter that it is deemed prudent to measure, forming as a whole a set of distributed ambient condition sensors which will constantly send information to a data acquisition and control system which also acts on bi-directional heat pumps, making it possible to control the temperature within the container and keep it uniform.
The said heat pumps are distributed in matrix formation throughout the inside of the container, in the cover as well as in the box of the same, and given that they must be bi-directional, as was pointed out above, i.e., able to pump heat outward as well as inward, depending on the heat level set as optimum for transport, the decision was made to use Peltier cells as the active mechanisms.
It is therefore planned to install one temperature sensor for each of the active elements installed, the number and arrangement of which will vary depending on the size of the container to be controlled.
It is also planned to install a sensor to detect the opening and closing of the container within the set of control elements, with the aim of monitoring and recording operations of this type that occur during transport.
The data control and acquisition system has the task of acquiring the data supplied by the elements of the distributed sensor system, and acting on the elements actively involved in controlling the temperature within the container, keeping it within the limits programmed by the user.
Communication between the data acquisition and control system and the outside of the container is to take place by means of several interfaces, specifically a PC interface that makes it possible to dump the data corresponding to the parameters being monitored during transport into a personal computer for inspection and/or storage, a card interface enabling the record corresponding to the merchandise transported to be stored on an intelligent card that also contains the ambient parameters needed for the correct transportation of the merchandise in question, and finally an operator interface through which it is possible to extract information on the conditions of the merchandise in real time at any moment.